Health

Black Rope Walking Group is a good excuse for libertarians and anarchists to get together for pleasant days walking and chatting in the hills and industrial valleys around Sheffield. Not forgetting refreshments in pubs along the way. Newcomers welcome, contact email: sheffield @ af-north.org

Schools, churches, businesses and individuals donate food to foodbanks, where volunteers sort and store it ready for people in crisis. Frontline care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social workers, CAB and police identify people in need and issue them with a foodbank voucher.

Equinox is a new co-operative that offers a professional coaching and advocacy service for long term unemployed people and people who suffer from any kind of discrimination. This co-operative has an ethical base and is really innovative. Have a look at the website and see how you can get involved.

Fracking threatens toxic and radioactive water contamination, air pollution, lorries, noise and light pollution, wells and pipelines blighting communities, and accelerates climate change. The fightback in South Yorkshire is here. (See also Sheffield Against Fracking.)

Janus Project works with domestic abusers in order to address and change their behaviour. It is the only such voluntary programme in the Sheffield district. Contact them if you want practical help with anger management, managing your temper, or violent behaviour, in a safe and supportive environment, to break the cycle of abuse using proven anger management techniques. They also offer support to current or ex-partners of the men accessing the programme.

Medsin is an activist network of students with an interest in health. Activities aim to promote health as well as to act upon and educate students about health inequalities in our local and global communities. Get involved to join in working towards a world in which high-quality, accessible healthcare is a reality for all.

Award-winning and long established, Peace Funerals are pioneers in environmentally-friendly funerals and woodland burial grounds. A Fair Trade organisation and member of The Natural Death Society, they can advise on choices outside of the mainstream, as well as traditional funerals.

13 million people live below the poverty line in the UK. People go hungry for various reasons ranging from redundancy to receiving an unexpected bill whilst on a low income. Rotherham Foodbank provides emergency food and support. Non-perishable donated food is sorted and packed into emergency food boxes. Frontline care professionals such as doctors and social workers give to people in crisis foodbank vouchers exchangeable for 3 days of food. Foodbanks also take time to listen and signpost clients to further support.

This group offers a safe and confidential meeting place for young people in Rotherham who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or in any way questioning their gender or sexuality. One-to-one support is also available. Free and welcoming, run by RMBC (the council). For more information call 07748 143280

Sheffield Save Our NHS is fighting the appalling government plans for major changes to our Health Service. Cuts, competition and privatization is all for the benefit of private companies. Time to get involved, show your support for the NHS.

Sheffield Food Collective works with food banks through things like food collections, gigs and events. They also collaborate with organisations, promoters, venues, and anyone else with skills, ideas, space, or enthusiasm. They help anyone in need, not simply using a ‘voucher’ system (where people only get food if they’ve been referred by an agency). No-one thinks food banks are the long-term answer to hunger and poverty, but they are trying to relieve the worst effects on people.

Sheffield rape and sexual abuse counselling service is a specialist women only service offering free and confidential counselling and support to empower women and girls who have experienced rape or sexual abuse at any times in their lives. Free and confidential; they can also offer listening and information to anyone supporting a survivor of sexual abuse.

STAG is an umbrella group to represent all tree groups throughout Sheffield. Its purpose is to lead a city-wide campaign to encourage the local authority to adopt a responsible, sustainable approach to management of the city-wide tree population – the urban forest. During the City Council/AMEY roads improvement contract there have been many protests about tree removals.

A safe place supporting gay and bisexual men based in the city centre. It offers various activities; weekly sessions with health advice and support services, and a chance to meet others away from the gay scene. Tel. Sheff. 3054444

A support and social group run by and for gay and bisexual men, gay curious men, and men who have sex with men, or men struggling with or questioning their sexuality who are fearful, pressurised and ultimately marginalised by the society in which we live. SoundOut offers a central service of informal group-based peer support and safe social interaction.

South Yorkshire Against Incineration

Doesn't seem to have a website, probably too busy fighting powerful Veolia's application to enlarge its Bernard Road incinerator (oooops, "Energy Recovery Plant") to allow waste to be collected from Barnsley, Doncaster and Chesterfield, sort of in conflict with the general idea of more recycling. There's a UK website UKWIN (UK Without Incineration Network)

St. Wilf’s does wonderful work for the homeless, vulnerable and socially excluded in South Yorkshire, bringing dignity and a feeling of belonging. People are taught skills – from domestic skills to help them to live independently, to skills that bring them back to work. And surprisingly they produce hand-made clocks and signs.…

SAEIS campaigns against the use of animals in vivisection by the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam. The University of Sheffield alone is responsible for the deaths of 30,000 animals ever year, used for animal experiments and then disposed of. Students and locals are often not even aware of the painful experiments and animal torment happening on their campuses and doorsteps. As the price of obtaining primates has soared due to activist pressure and the closing down of facilities, an increase of the breeding and use of genetically modified animals has occured.

The Hazards Campaign, which has a strong base in Sheffield, is a network of resource centres and campaigners on health and safety at work. It is a vital source of useful information when you need to fight dodgy employers or dangerous working conditions.

VIDA (formerly Sheffield Domestic Abuse Forum) is an independent voluntary sector organisation delivering specialist domestic and sexual abuse services and training, and engaging with partners to work towards an end to domestic abuse and violence against women and girls.